The government of Benin is recruiting a further 5,000 soldiers, following a rise in militant attacks on its northern border with Burkina Faso.
The new recruits will be required to know at least one of the languages spoken in the region, and will be given six months of training.
Jihadists are present in the vast Park W, a protected area of forest stretching across the borders of Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger.
They’ve been using the reserve to launch attacks and infiltrate communities.
Islamists militants have displaced millions across West Africa’s Sahel region, and their attacks have claimed the lives of tens of thousands.